


Regrets

by StarlightXNightmare



Series: Drawbacks [2]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Henry doesn't know Joey literally turned himself into the Ink Demon in the first AU, Living Toons AU, but it seems like a Joey thing to do so Henry should be expecting it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-24 23:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightXNightmare/pseuds/StarlightXNightmare
Summary: There were a lot of things Henry regretted. But designing Bendy's personality after his best friend Joey's was probably his biggest one yet, in two universes.





	Regrets

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in the normal Drawbacks AU (this one was written before the first one I posted lol) and in the AU where the toons are alive with no sacirifce necessary. I probably won't write many of the Living Toons AU in the Drawbacks series seeing as Drawbacks is based on the "good ending" of BatIM, so there is a high possibility that this will be the only one I write for the series. Not saying I won't write a story in a Living Toons AU because that'd be a lie: I'm working on one right now on Quotev because I got bored a week or so ago. So I'll probably end up posting that on here too.

Henry was getting on in years; he was fifty five now. With each passing year, his wisdom and knowledge of the world grew. But the most important thing he had collected throughout all the years of his life were his regrets. He regretted a lot to be completely honest with himself. Henry had a lot of regrets he could name off the top of his head right now.

He regretted getting drafted into World War II all those years ago. It wasn't like he had asked to get drafted, but he still regretted it all the same.

He regretted getting in a fight with his best friend, Joey Drew, after breaking the news of his draft. He had been upset that his best friend and best animator for the cartoon series was leaving for an unknown period of time. Words had been exchanged between the two of them, none of them pleasant. Henry left after Joey hit him.

He regretted getting his friend in the military killed, though it hadn't really been his fault. Kenny had just been trying to save him after he had gotten shot three times in the leg. It wasn't his fault that Kenny had been in the line of fire meant for him, nor was it his fault that the bullet happened to tear through his skull.

He regretted trying to get adjusted to being back in the studio after going through the war. Everyone had welcomed him back warmly, but he could see how they all looked at him. The pitiful glances at him in his wheelchair. All he did was distract him when he got flashbacks, and it wasn't like he was working that much. What he saw in the war affected even his drawing ability, and it was very rarely when he could animate in peace.

He regretted leaving the studio in anger when Joey had been acting unreasonable. Joey had been gone a lot through his recovery process and they had been getting into fights more often. The last time they saw each other, Joey told him to leave and never come back. Henry obliged, storming out without grabbing any of the possessions from his workstation and desk.

He regretted answering Joey's letter he had received in the mail however many days ago it was. He shouldn't ever have come back to the studio. Joey said to leave and never come back and Henry considered writing back to him saying just that or even just straight up ignoring the letter, but he didn't have the heart or brain to do so. He had longed to see his best friend again, even if they hadn't left each other on a good note.

He regretted following Joey's instructions with turning on the Ink Machine. He had known something fishy was up, but he hadn't listened to his instincts. He insisted that he turn on the machine for Joey.

But his biggest regret as of now was basing Bendy's personality off Joey's. In hindsight, Henry really shouldn't have based Bendy off Joey. Sure, he hadn't known the cartoon character he had spent so many sleepless nights drawing would come to life, but Henry really should've known better. Joey's stubbornness had gotten them into loads of trouble before and so had his ridiculously annoying determination. Ever so ruthless when someone had insulted him or Henry or his friends and family. Smug as hell whenever something went his way or when he proved someone wrong. Clever when he found all those loopholes in everything from school to animating. Or his ability to charm anyone into doing whatever he wanted. In some situations, these traits had been endearing, annoying, and even absolutely infuriating. Now that an Ink Demon had them, it was downright terrifying. And now that Henry has seen Joey's true colors, Henry realizes Bendy is a lot more like Joey than he originally thought.

Stubborn and determined to catch the man who had created him all those years ago, stubborn and determined to the point where the demon would search through the lower floors of the building, hunting for Henry.

Ruthless in the way the Ink Demon pursued him once he had heard or seen him, chasing after him through the twisting hallways and even continuing to look for him when he eventually slipped away. 

Smug in the way how he grinned wolfishly once Henry realized how he wasn't going to make it out of this place alive, let alone escape the eldritch creature's claws every time he ran into him. Eventually he'd be caught with no way out, and that's when it'd be all over, whether he survived or whether he would be turned into all these inky monstrosities down in this hellhole.

Clever when he used the puddles of ink to hide in or when he traveled through the ink pipes to different floors. Or the newest trick Henry had just discovered: his ability to use inky portals to travel through walls and onto different floors. 

But even a demon had its weaknesses.

This Bendy had ink dripping into its eyes, preventing it from seeing Henry right away. Unfortunately, that meant the demon's hearing had been enhanced. The inky monster normally heard his footsteps or breathing before it could get a glance at him when the ink dripped down its face and past its eyes every now and then. Bendy, also, had a physical trait of Joey's somehow seeing as Henry never made Bendy with any physical features of Joey. While Joey only had a limp, Bendy's leg had been twisted backwards, making his gait slow and shuffling. He was slow when he walked and his run was hindered, and that's one of the only reasons Henry had survived this long. He was well into his fifties with a messed up leg just like the grinning demon himself.

The Ink Demon's shuffling footsteps drew near, ink and shadows creeping along the walls, ceiling, and floor as his dragging footsteps echoed throughout the room. Step, drag, step. Step, drag, step. Step, drag, step.

Henry couldn't help feel as if he had made a very big mistake when designing Bendy's personality's as Joey's.

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Henry was getting on in years; he was fifty five now. With each passing year, his wisdom and knowledge of the world grew. But the most important thing he had collected throughout all the years of his life were his regrets. He didn't really regret a lot to be completely honest with himself. Henry had very few regrets he could name off the top of his head right now.  

He regretted letting Joey get into witchcraft and dark magic, though he supposed it was for the best he found out about it in the first place. If he hadn't then Bendy, Boris, and Alice wouldn't have been brought to life as real toons.

He also regretted driving Linda to leave, but it was for the best anyway. If she couldn't respect with how much time he was pouring into his work then she had every right to gather up her stuff and leave his life.

But his biggest regret as of now was basing Bendy's personality off Joey's. In hindsight, Henry really shouldn't have based Bendy off Joey. Sure, he hadn't known the cartoon character he had spent so many sleepless nights drawing would come to life, but Henry really should've known better. Joey's stubbornness had gotten them into loads of trouble before and so had his ridiculously annoying determination. Ever so ruthless when someone had insulted him or Henry or his friends and family. Smug as hell whenever something went his way or when he proved someone wrong. Clever when he found all those loopholes in everything from school to animating. Or his ability to charm anyone into doing whatever he wanted. In some situations, these traits had been endearing, annoying, and even absolutely infuriating. Now that the Little Devil Darlin' had them, it was downright annoying and mildly terrifying at times.

Stubborn and determined to continue playing pranks on the employees of Joey Drew Studio, no matter how many times he was caught and punished.

Ruthless in the way he'd verbally tear apart anyone who insulted his friends and family, not to mention the scares he'd give them when no one was looking.

Smug in the way when something went his way or when he proved someone wrong and had to rub it in their faces.

Charming in the way he could use a few well placed words and actions to get someone wrapped around his gloved finger. He could charm his way out of trouble often, though everyone in the studio knew better than to let him off the hook now.

Clever in using his size to his advantage, whether it be hiding or taking shortcuts around the studio. Clever when he used the puddles of ink to hide or used them to walk through wall. Clever when he used his monstrous form to absorb unneeded ink.

With an enraged Sammy covered head to toe in ink, bellowing at the top of his lungs at a smug looking Bendy sitting on his desk, Henry couldn't help but feel as if he had made a very big mistake when designing Bendy's personality as Joey's. But it was a mistake he'd make over and over again. It's what made Bendy who he was... even if it was like having a second Joey Drew around.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you four for commenting on my last story. Made my day to see people and authors I look up to complimenting my stories. People like you give me more motivation to write my stories.


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